


Heroes Never Break A Promise

by Honestreader



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clockwork’s a flirt, Creepy uncles must be punished, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Danny killed someone, Gen, Grey Ghost - Freeform, If You Squint - Freeform, It's not a spoiler if it's in the summary, King Danny, Knight Vlad, M/M, Mild Gore, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protect the Child, Protective Danny, Reign Storm- Episode
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-10 13:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5588440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honestreader/pseuds/Honestreader
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Ghost King can only take the crown if His predecessor is dead at his hands. Danny Phantom swore to himself he'd never take a life. When that promise is broken in the heat of battle he's stuck in a position he didn't want. Will he descend into madness like Pariah Dark? Or will he lead the Ghost Zone into an age of Prosperity?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer; Tada! I own nothing! *Jazz hands*

Radioactive green ectoplasm dripped from the wounds across his body. The remaining horn of his helmet had cracked and fallen. His castle, his lair, was beginning to crumble under the force of their battle. Banners had burned from Exhaustion was beginning to seep into his core, causing him to stumble. For centuries he believed the only one with enough power to defeat him would be the Master of Time himself. And yet...

A child. A mere child was the one who had stood up to him. Not even a full ghost, it had been a filthy Halfa. Scum so vile it didn't even have the decency to die fully before setting foot in his domain. The Halfa didn't relent in his fight, throwing every attack he had at the Ghost King. Even with his lesser status, he had to admit the boy was strong.

"Pathetic insect, don't you know when to yield to your betters." Pariah kicked the boy in the side, further denting the armor he wore.

The white haired boy looked up, flashing him a ectoplasm stained grin. "Well, I've always had a problem with authority." He sent a full powered ectoplasm blast at his chest. neither of the noticed the loud crack that sounded when Pariah made contact with the already crumbling wall. "And last I checked, I kinda have the upper hand here."

The Ghost King grinned. "That is where you are mistaken." He waved an arm and turned part of the castle invisible. The Halfa cried out as he saw his allies losing to Pariah's army, a few of them were pinned by the Skeletons with defeated expressions. "The only good traitor is a Dead one."

"No!" The boy tried run to them only to be yanked back by Pariah's telekinesis.

"This is war, boy! In war there are casualties, a shame that you had be on the losing side. I would have loved to keep you as a minion." He slammed the boy down against the ground. The boy phased through the ground, much to the King's surprise.

A thick slab of stone made contact with his back, shattering upon impact with his armor but still sending him to his knees. "I… am NO ONE'S minion." The frigid tone of his voice sent a shock of fear through his core. Until now the boy had responded to everything he'd said with insubordination and puns. "No one," the boy flung him though the already crumbling wall. "and I mean NO ONE, owns me."

Pariah hardly had any time to respond to the appearance of three more copies of the Halfa, all of them holding the same enraged expression. "Foolish Boy, I am the King of all Ghosts! I own all of you."

Red started to bleed into his irises. "We'll have to fix that won't we."

The former Ghost King never stood a chance.

* * *

Plasmius felt a claw of ice grip his heart suddenly. The Fright Knight fell to his knees as the skeleton army crumbled to dust. A scream of primal and unadulterated rage tore through the air, obliterating the already damaged castle. The full Ghosts all began to flee in terror at the sound. _Daniel._ Plasmius flew forward, despite his instincts telling him to fly away.

The Older Halfa flitted above the rubble, searching for the boy. There was too much destruction for him to see clearly. The Ghost King could be anywhere, ready to destroy him. Panic welled up in his heart. He didn't want to be the one to show Maddie her dead son.

Dread wheighed down on him as he envisioned the boy's limp form, broken and limp. The still-forming core in his chest torn from his body...

"Daniel!" He cried out, pushing the dark thoughts to the side. "Badger!" A flash of silver in the corner of his eye. He flew towards it. A small cracked screen broadcasted a blink red '0.01%', beeping irritably. Plasmius reached out, phasing his hands through the metal and pulling out the child trapped inside. "Daniel! Oh my lord, you look awful."

The raven-haired boy was limp in his arms. Blood dribbled from his lips. His eyes were marked with the start of bruises and his arm looked bent at an awkward angle. He carefully lifted the boy in his arms and flew off towards his own Ghost Portal. Tears pricked his eyes as his legs dissolved into a spectral tail to increase his speed.

An almost non-existent heartbeat was the only thing keeping Vlad from going insane. A few ghosts seemed to notice who he held in his arms, many of them flying a bit closer out of curiosity. The Halfa snarled, that was enough to send most of them on their way.

Skulker was one of the few that persisted. "The Whelp is still alive?"

"Barely." The Halfa croaked. "I need to get him to my lab, I'll need my equipment. I need him alive." _I can't be alone again._ He didn't need to say the last part, the hunter ghost understood the meaning.

Skulker went silent but still flew at his side. "It would be dishonourable to hunt him while he is wounded like this. I will assist in anyway you command." They reached the artificial portal and the hunter pushed the giant football out of the way.

Setting the boy down on a sterile lab table, he transformed back into his human form. He pat the younger halfa's hair. "Don't worry, Daniel." He looked over to Skulker, who was gathering the necessary equipment. "We'll fix you."

  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *small gasp* People have read this? Thank you to everyone who left a review. And those that didn't. A brief warning, I can't write pastry curses at all. Here's a new chapter, have fun!

_His duplicates pinned the ghost king, one of them tearing the Ring of Rage from Dark's finger. The other two twist the ancient King's arms back sharply, eliciting a groan from the powerful ghost. A part of Danny's mind felt a sense of pride at being able to bring such a powerful being to his knees. It terrified him._

_Pariah broke free from the Duplicates, blasting them back into ectoplasm. "Stupid boy." He formed an ax with his ectoplasmic energy. "I'm far more powerful then you will EVER be! Even without the Ring of Rage." Animalistic fury bubbled in the Halfa's chest. The Ghost King summoned a flail and pointed it at Danny, who was still kneeling from the exhaustion of forming four duplicates. "I will make the next few hours the most painful of your pathetic afterlife."_

_Power sparked from his rage as Pariah stormed forward. "No… I'm tired of people like you pushing others around. Power doesn't give you the right to control others. People deserve to make their own decision and control their own fate. You need to Back OFF!" The last word was charged with ectoplasmic energy and Danny's building fury. The new attack hit Pariah dead in his chest tearing through his armor. Had Danny been more conscious he would have screamed at the sight of the Ex-King beginning to dissolve into a puddle at his feet..._

Vlad checked over the readings a few more times. Daniel was healing at a normal rate for a human, which for Vlad seemed far too slow. By his research, a halfa' regeneration process should have moved twice as quickly. At the very least, Daniel should have woken up. Vlad briefly wondered if he'd been prolonging the inevitable. Perhaps Daniel was too far gone to heal. Panic welled up in his core, what if Daniel never woke up? How would he break that to his family? Maddie would be heartbroken to see her son in such a state. And what off the boy's little sidekicks? They would definitely try to out his status to the Fentons. What if..?

Vlad sucked in a breath, pinching the bridge of his nose to calm himself. All his research into their shared condition hadn't prepared him for this. His hands balled into fists. _This is all Jack's fault. He just had to force the idea of self sacrifice down that boy's throat._ Vlad scowled at the thought of taking Daniel back to his parents.

Daniel's core was incredibly unstable after exerting so much energy, and his parents would undoubtedly try and check for any ectoplasmic residue after this. Not to mention that the boy was switching between his Ghost and Human forms in alarming frequency. Coming up with an explanation that didn't put either of their secrets at risk would be near impossible.

A loud screeching sound interrupted his thoughts. Vlad set down his papers and teleported directly to his lab. The alarm had been programmed to activate when there was a ghost signature not his own entering his lab. He'd originally made it that way to keep out certain nosey ghost boy but... the room was filled with bickering ghosts who had no reason or authority to be in his territory. "What are you all doing here?" He snapped.

The ghosts all froze in place. One of them, a woman with flaming blue hair. stepped forward to speak. "We needed to escape the Ghost Zone, there's no way any of us were going to stay there with the Ghost King on the loose. The Fenton's shut down their portal so this was our only option." She huffed and rolled her eyes. "If we could, we'd be long gone, you're the one who ghost-proofed your lab."

"Yeah old man, we're just passing through." A Biker teen revved the engine of his motorcycle. Vlad responded with a snarl, flashing his ghost eyes.

The ghost girl with her arms wrapped around the teen's abdomen whispered something to him. Probably along the lines of not antagonizing the very powerful Halfa. Vlad narrowed his eyes at the 'leader' of the group. "And why should I help you?"

"Because if you don't we'll tell everyone still trapped in the ghost zone that big bad Plasmius is hoarding a damn good portal from us common folk. Everyone's looking for an out, and seeing as you have your hands full helping Phantom with his booboo's, you don't exactly have the energy to fight all of us at once." The Rocker Ghost grinned in triumph.

Vlad raised a remote in one hand and powered off the ghost shield hidden in the walls. Glaring down the rocker ghost with all the authority he could muster. "Get out."

The ghost couple on the motorcycle were the first to leave, followed by a shadow ghost and a shapeshifter. The rocker stood her ground. "Did you kill him yet?"

"Of course not."

"I figured you would have, everyone knows how much you despise each other." She shrugged. Without another word, she floated up and out of his lab. He snarled at the idea that his only goal was to destroy the only one similar to him.

A shriek rattled the foundations of his mansion. The sound was as unearthly as it was chilling. Fear was not something Vlad Masters felt often, but that sound gripped his core with pure terror. The couple on the motorcycle zoomed passed him screaming about the Ghost Zone being better than this.

Out of his own scientific curiousity, Vlad floated up through the floors of the mansion, despite the growing instinct to flee. He knocked into Skulker whose suit looked like it had seen better days. Skulker hardly seemed to register his presence until Vlad gripped his employee's shoulder. "What on earth is going on?"

The Hunter ghost shuddered, his eyes glistening with fear. "The wh… Phantom has woken up."

* * *

Danny was in the worst pain he'd ever experienced. Not even the Ghost Portal had hurt this much. The Portal had been brief, this seemed like it'd never end. He felt a burning sensation deep inside, pouring energy into his body. The energy felt ice cold, like when he sensed a ghost but it also burned. It sank into his bones. The only way for it to escape was through his scream. He felt like he'd been screaming for hours, but the energy kept pouring out and replacing itself.

He vaguely sensed someone nearby. He didn't know where. They were just there. _Oh god, he's still alive. He's going to end me. Too young to die._ A new sense of urgeny filled him. His eyes darted around in an attempt to pin down who was there. A silhouette appeared in his view. "Daniel," the silhouette began, Danny could hardly hear them . "Can you hear me? Blink if you understand."

_Vlad?_ Danny blinked, his eyes stung a bit. For once he was relieved that the fruitloop had found him first.

"I was worried your Core wasn't producing enough energy, now the nutrients I gave you are speeding up the production of ectoplasm. It may hurt, but if you keep using that power your Ghost half won't be able to heal. Do you understand?"

Danny blinked again. _But if I stop I'll die._ He heard something crash. _Did I do that?_

Vlad clamped his hands over his ears, he was yelling. Even so, it sounded muffled and far away. "Daniel, Please! Put aside whatever distrust you have of me and understand this is for your own good."

He felt the source of the energy call for him to listen to the older Half-Ghost.

_Fine._ The younger halfa snapped his jaw shut. The icy burning sensation returned, almost making him begin screaming anew. It suddenly faded as if it had never happened. The power started to soothe instead of burn. He could breathe again, he hadn't been aware of that before. Danny groaned as he tried to lift himself to get a better view of the damage. Even with the weird healing surge, his body protested against the exertion. Biting back another howl of pain he began to survey the damage he'd caused to Vlad's home.

The sense of pride that filled him made him feel a bit guilt. Only a bit.

Vlad placed a hand on his shoulder. Danny resisted the urge to hit the older man. _Don't think about how much you hate him._ "Daniel?"

"Vlad,"He rasped, his voice was still raw from the new ghost power. The energy buzzed pleasantly under his skin, a complete 180 from the agony he'd been in before. "Where are my clothes?"

"They were covered in blood, I burned them." Vlad crossed his arms. "I think you should be more concerned about the damage the Ghost King dealt. The nutrients I gave you should have started aiding your recovery almost immediately, your core must have been severely weakened in that fight. You could've died Daniel."

"'M already dead." He flinched at the sound of his own voice. It sounded weak and gravely. "How long was I out?"

Vlad picked up a clipboard. "Two weeks, I believe your slowed recovery might be due to... DANIEL!" The older Halfa Phased through the bed to stop Danny from collapsing to the ground. "What are you doing!? Did you not hear me say that you could've died? You need to rest!"

Familiar rage bubbled up in his chest, smothering any pain he was feeling. "Don't touch me, Plasmius!" The older man stepped back in shock, not expecting the boy to suddenly lash out. Danny swayed on his feet for a second before he caught his balance against the medical equipment. The room was charged with raw anger on Danny's part. "If you think... I'll actually trust you after you released Pariah Dark... You're very mistaken." Danny's eyes flashed with his ghostly energy. "The only reason you're helping me is to get close to my mother. Leave your lies and false concern out of this."

The look in Vlad's eyes was almost convincing. "Daniel, if I didn't care about your well being, why would I have dug through rubble to find you? Even if you don't believe that then at least let me help you get well enough that you can walk without falling over."

Danny narrowed his eyes at Vlad. The wave of adrenaline was fading and his legs were beginning to wobble under the strain of holding up his weight. He realized how pathetic he looked. Vlad was perfectly healthy and could've wiped him off the face of the earth at any point. But he could hardly stand. "Fine. But if you try anything and I'm gone."

Vlad breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank heavens." He paced over to the wrecked medical cabinet, reaching through the shattered glass doors. Rummaging through the drawer he pulled out a vial. "Hold still, I need to administer some more nutrients directly to your core."

The Ghost boy sat back on the bed, his body far too weak to continue standing. "My core?"

A needle poked through the cap, drawing out the strange glowing fluid. "It's the source of your Ghost Half, it's what keeps your body from turning to mush when you transform. All ghost's have unique cores." Vlad grinned. "Your's is still rather undeveloped, but still incredibly powerful. In a few years you could probably have a whole element at your fingertips."

"Will it hurt?" Danny eyed the needle with suspicion. The more paranoid part of his mind wondered if it had some crazy brainwashing powers.

"Not as much as bringing an entire castle down around your head." Vlad readied the needle, right beneath Danny's breastbone. The older Halfa was focused on sensing the right moment. "What happened exactly?"

_Melting ectoplasm, so scared, oh no no no. Too young to die! can't stop._ "I uh..." Danny felt the last bit of energy leave him. "I killed him." His voice was quiet and broken.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vlad worries over Danny. Danny meets a new ally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly summary! I've had a little more time on my hands lately so i decided to write a new chapter. Enjoy!

Vlad struggled to process what he’d just heard. Daniel, the stalwart defender of Amity Park and Incorruptible teen hero, claimed to have killed someone. Vlad briefly wondered if Daniel was trying to pull a prank on him. Maybe as revenge for the clothing thing.- Deep down he knew Daniel couldn’t be faking, the boy was a god awful liar.- Vlad couldn’t help but gawk at him and expect the boy to shout ‘Surprise’ and brush it off at his expense. When the boy continued to stare at the ceiling blankly, he felt dread grip his core. 

He slowly pushed the needle into Daniel’s core, surprised to see a lack of any sort of reaction. “Daniel, please tell me you’re joking.”

The boy blinked slowly. “Are you done? I’m really tired.” His voice was empty of any of his usual bravado. It felt unnatural.

“Oh Badger…” Vlad retrieved the needle, the boy flinching at having foreign substances introduced to his core. He wanted so badly to comfort the boy but he knew it wouldn’t be received well. Instead he tamed his expression to a more Neutral one. “I… am sorry that it came to that little badger.”

He turned his empty gaze back to Daniel, seeing the boy’s enraged look. “What? You aren't going to mock me? Rub in how the great hero of Amity Park fell so far that he killed someone.”

“You acted like you had a choice not to.” 

“I could've stopped.”

Then you would be dead. Vlad bit his tongue. He was still coming to grips with the idea that Daniel had been in over his head. The Ecto Skeleton, even as a prototype, managed to give him enough power to not only survive a fight with Pariah Dark but to win. If Vlad had been in Daniel’s position, he would have fled. “Daniel,” He grabbed the boy’s hand. “If you had not killed Pariah Dark, he would’ve go on to enslave the Ghost Zone and the Real World. Your family would pay for your rebellion and you wouldn’t be around to stop him.” 

“Even if you think that you’ve done a horrible thing, it saved your life and so many others. No one else was strong enough to destroy Pariah Dark. It needed to be done for the good of the Ghost Zone.” Vlad squeezed Daniel’s hand a final time before exiting the room.

 

It needed to be done. I saved them, He would’ve enslaved the Ghost Zone. I killed him. You act like you had a choice. Danny’s mind raced with the things Vlad had said. His Core seemed to cry out from the strain of his conflicting emotions. Logically he understood that killing Pariah Dark was the safest course of action. Locking him back up would mean that eventually someone would come around and free the ghost from his prison again. Killing him also destroyed any influence he had in the Zone, Amity Park returned to its place in the Real World and the day was saved. Go Phantom, our hero.

But his morals screamed at him for his failure. What kind of hero takes a life? Even ghosts have their own sentience. A thinking feeling being had perished at his hands. No amount of ‘you did the right thing’s or heroic praise was going to change that. His heart ached at the thought of violence. What would his friends think? No doubt they’d begin to feel scared. How safe were they around him? How safe was anyone? Was having ghost powers really worth the danger he posed to everyone?

And then there was That Part of him. The part that had enjoyed toying with Pariah, holding back, just a bit. That part wondered just how strong he was and what he could do to someone…

Danny gagged at the thought. That little piece of morbid curiosity terrified him. He knew that he was powerful, the fact that he was still alive proved that. The idea that he held back and still defeated one of the most powerful ghosts in existence baffled him. Part of it was the Ecto-Skeleton but there were his own powers to take into consideration. Holding back was a habit, even fighting more powerful ghosts like Walker, he just wanted them to get the picture and back off.

Feeling the familiar sensation of his ghost sense slip past his lips, Danny transformed into his ghost half. He bit back a groan as he realized that his alter ego was just as broken as his human self. Of course he could use some of his powers but he was certain he probably couldn't even take on the box ghost in his current state. “who's there? I can sense you.”

The ghost phased through the wall, red eyes standing out against the stark white of the sterile room. They wore a deep purple cloak that framed their face, which slightly unsettled Danny. The sharp wisdom contrasted with their youthful appearance. 

Luckily, the ghost didn’t seem to interested in fighting. Instead they watched him with a piercing look that seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of a vital decision. Danny switched back to his human half after a minute of tense silence. They weren’t attacking and no one else was around. “Daniel ‘Phantom’ Fenton.” The Ghost said. “You’ve made quite the name for yourself.”

Danny flinched. “Yeah, Didn’t catch yours though.”

The ghost smiled, the curiosity vanishing. “I am Clockwork. Master of time. I heard of your battle with Pariah, and wanted to meet you in person. After all, you have rid the ghost zone from a very powerful evil.” The young halfa scowled and looked away. Clockwork floated closer, setting a hand on his shoulder. “It is alright Phantom, there are worse fates than death.”

“I know that it’s just…” Danny felt hot tears well up in his eyes. “How can I call myself a hero if I let myself lose control like that? What if I do that with a human? If I lose control with a bully or a ghost hunter…” He trailed off. Thoughts of accidently abusing his ghost powers, he would end up killing someone and having his secret uncovered. The judgement he would face. Rejection. Experimentation. 

“Daniel, I can tell you for a fact that there are futures where you become the being you fear you’ll be. Timelines where you revel in destruction and chaos.” 

Danny felt his heart sink. “So it's pointless? Trying to be a good guy?”

The deceptively young ghost held up a hand to interrupt him. “There are many different paths your life can take from this point Daniel. That’s why I am here, to help you.”

Danny looked into the ghost’s eyes, he felt a creeping sense of suspicion. They hadn’t shown any signs of aggression but then… neither had Vlad at first. “And why should I trust you?”

Clockwork shrugged. “Trust me or not, My duty is to ensure the best timeline. You are very important to the future of the Ghost Zone. I’d rather you not face this alone.”

The halfa chewed his lip anxiously. He could trust the ghost and possibly be tricked later on. Or he could try and face his own fears on his own."I-I don't want to go through this alone. I'll trust you," He glared at the ghost fiercely. "But if you turn on me or hurt my family I'll end you."

Clockwork nodded. “Get some rest, young hero. I will be here when you wake. We have much to discuss.” They placed an hand on Danny's Core, a faint pulse of energy warming him.

 

The boy slipped into the warm embrace without much of a fight. Poor child, no human should have the weight of an entire world on their shoulders, let alone two. He would face many troubles in the coming months. The boy would have to control his newest power, as well as the Ghost Zone. While there was still quite a bit of time until the future Kings coronation, there were many plans to be made.

Of course there were the Observents to worry about as well. They had seen glimpses of the halfa’s darker future and insisted that they send someone to eliminate the boy before he returned to full power. They had hardly paid any attention to the timeline where… regardless the boy had a long road ahead of him. 

But now he could rest. 

All was as it should be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has Clockwork. But like… I kinda gave Danny PTSD. Umm… Sorry?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one SUUUUUCKKKS. I hate writing filler but I can't just have everyone immediately know everything like Clockwork.

“Run ‘Phantom’ sample against sample ‘RR-2’.” The scientist drummed his fingertips against the cold metal of his work bench. He had inserted the new sample from Daniel as well as the Ring of Rage. 

 

Finding the Ghost King’s castle had involved quite a bit of research into the Artifacts he sought and their wielder. Which came across some interesting legends. Some spoke of a tradition among Ghosts that passed on the title to the victor in a duel. Rather barbaric. But if any of them were true, then Daniel was in terrible danger. If Daniel had taken the title of Ghost King then many ghosts would redouble their efforts to destroy him. Of course Vlad wouldn’t allow any filthy plebian touch Daniel.

 

The M.A.D.D.I.E Program hummed in contemplation as it scanned the files. “Sample ‘RR-2’ has begun to destabilize in ecto-signature. Several Real World impurities detected, dearest. Please retake sample to ensure purity, heart.”

 

Scowling, Vlad picked up the Ring of Rage and held it up. Patches of black metal had begun to creep across the ancient artifact, the metal seemed ghostly in nature but didn’t match any type of Ghost zone samples in his database. The skull motif on the ring was beginning to chip off slowly. It was possible it’s deterioration had to do with being in the real world for such a long period of time. But none of his other ecto-samples had experienced that level of deterioration. 

 

It was taking all he had not to scream in frustration. “Report of ‘Phantom’ Sample.” He snapped.

 

“‘Phantom’ Sample is Stable, Love. Ghost and Human components perfectly synchronized. Core powers currently unknown. Trace amounts of foreign Ectoplasm detected in sample.”

 

Vlad rubbed his fingers into his temples. The foreign ectoplasm was what was speeding along Daniel’s recovery. Still he was healing at a disturbingly slow pace. “Contact Skulker.”

 

The screen loaded a video chat and presented Skulkers robotic form. “Plasmius.”

 

“Skulker.” Vlad set down the ring and stood, heading for his bookshelf. The Screen followed his movement. “I need you to head to Ghost Writers lair and get me a book on the Ghost Zones Geology and another on the government of the Ghost Zone. The Ring of Rage seems to be changing. On top of that I need to ensure that Daniel is in fact the rightful heir of the Ghost Zone, there has to be a loophole in there.”

 

“There may be a problem with that.”

 

“And what…” Vlad turned back to the screen, snarling. “Would that be?”

 

Skulker flinched under Vlad’s glare. The Halfa looked like death warmed over, his normally well trimmed beard was beginning to grow out of hand. Bloodshot eyes were framed by his silver hair, which had fallen out of its usual ponytail. His skin had paled from the lack of sunlight, making him seem far more ghost than human. “M-Many of the more powerful Ghosts have gone into hiding. The Ghost Zone is on edge since no one knows the result of the battle was in Phantom’s favor. They haven’t heard of Phantom’s victory and assume that Pariah is still alive.”

 

Vlad pressed his palms to his eyes, feeling his Ghost half right below his skin. His frustraion and exhaustion was making it harder to control his more violent tendencies. The halfa pushed down the power and calmed himself. Logic was much more useful then rage at the moment. 

 

“If Ghost Writer is still concerned about Pariah, assure him that Daniel is alive and Pariah is not. I don’t care if the entire Ghost Zone hears about it. It’s been two weeks, if Pariah was still alive he would have done something by now. Just get me the books I need and bring them here.” He slid a hand over the tomes on his shelf. Many of them were scientific in nature but some were focused on the unique properties of the Ghost Zone. He slid one off the shelf.

 

The Hunter nodded. “Is the whelp..?”

 

“Alive? Yes. He’s beginning to regain a bit of color and I can probably remove his stitches tomorrow.” Vlad open the book. Illustrations of the fallen Ghost King covered the page. They depicted his victory over the king before him. A second Ghost seemed to be caring for Pariah’s wounds. “You are dismissed.” 

 

There were few beings in the world that managed to overpower him and Vlad hoped to be able to avoid them as long as possible. The Ghost King was-had been- one of them. Halfa’s were naturally more powerful than most Ghosts, which meant he wasn’t very surprised when Daniel took up Ghost Fighting as his obsession. He had never expected Daniel to build up enough skill to face a Ghost as ancient or as powerful as Pariah. He had hoped that the younger halfa would’ve accepted his offer much sooner. It had never been his intent to let Daniel face the situation alone. 

 

It was all his fault. Not Jack’s, His. If Vlad hadn’t gone after that stupid ring, Daniel would still be hanging out with his friends, hunting Ghosts and playing video games. He had to fix this… somehow. The boy would never trust him. Unless he found some way to prove himself. That of course was nearly impossible since Daniel only saw him as a threat.

 

Vlad attempted to immerse himself in the text. Alas, his focus remained on ways to improve his standing in Daniel's eyes. Many of them involved physical endangerment, which seemed rather counterintuitive to his goal of protecting the boy. Too much risk to both of their well-being.

 

He eyes wandered over to the photo of him and Maddie. The torn edge where he'd removed Jack's face sparked an idea. Not an evil plan, just an idea. One he hoped would start to mend his burned bridges.

  
  


Danny gasped, his ghost sense releasing a small puff of pale blue mist as a result. His eyes scanned the room, after his rest his mind was much clearer. Clockwork had seemed harmless enough, friendly even. But putting him to sleep was seriously not okay. Danny knew that ghosts didn’t think about things the same way as humans and maybe Clockwork had meant it as a small favor. But Danny had questions.

 

“And I have answers.”

 

Danny jumped slightly in response to the sudden appearance of the Master of Time. A faint ectoblast formed around his fist, his core pounded with the effort to produce enough energy to transform and fight. After a moment Danny managed to relax and remind himself of his and Clockwork’s truce. “Don’t sneak up on me.”

 

Clockwork blinked. “Force of habit.”

 

Danny eased back into his hospital bed. “It’s fine, just try to avoid it.” Clockwork nodded, obviously trying to make an effort to be as not-creepy as possible. “I developed a new power in my fight with Pariah, what was it?” 

 

“Right to the chase I see,” Clockwork smiled to himself. “That power is called the Ghostly Wail, it’s very rare and hasn’t been seen for centuries. When it does crop up it is usually in a very powerful ghost in a time of great change. I have personally met three of them, you and two others who have long since moved on.” The Master of Time frowned slightly, his eyes glazing over. “They never went peacefully.”

 

Danny flinched. That look didn’t do much to reassure him. “Why did Vlad help me?”

 

“He was genuinely concerned for you, Daniel.” Clockwork noted Danny’s look of disbelief. “Everyone deserves a second chance, even Vlad. And you at least owe him that if nothing else. There are many obstacles in the near future that you will need to work together with him to reach your goal.”

 

Danny pressed his lips into a thin line, thinking over Clockwork’s words. If Clockwork was being completely honest then he’d need to put his animosity towards Vlad to the side eventually, regardless of whether he wanted to or not. Doing so now would help avoid unnecessary bickering in the face of danger. But at the same time Vlad would definitely try to take advantage of any friendship or alliance between them later on. He also  really didn’t want to. 

 

“If I forgive Vlad…” The Halfa sucked in a breath. “If I forgive him, will it ever backfire?”

 

Clockwork’s eyes looked into the distance, as if looking at some far off wonder. The ghost’s lips twitched with the barest hint of a smile. “There are points where he falters, but it is to be expected. He is human, even if he tries not to be.”

 

That earned a chuckle from Danny, his body protested as he tried to get more comfortable. “Why am I important to the Ghost Zone’s future? I can’t be that important, Ghostly Wail or not.”

 

“That, Daniel, is a very interesting story. It begins around two billion years ago;

  
  


_ You see Daniel, Humans all Ghosts can for from. Ghosts were first made from the death of stars. These ghosts were far more powerful than any other that has formed since, Since then we know them as the Ancients. The Ancients knew that one day other Ghosts would come along and cause trouble. So they took it upon themselves to create the first laws of the Ghost Zone. The First of which was the division of the Human and Ghost Realms. Portals would allow ghosts to come and go as they pleased but the realms were not to meet. _

 

_ Of course they were right and not long after the First Ghost King came along.  _

 

**Pariah Dark?**

 

_ No Daniel, the First King’s name is long lost. Pariah was the twenty second King, he erased the names of his predecessors when his reign began.  _

 

_ The First Ghost King attempted to go against the Laws of the Ghost Zone, so another ghost challenged him. The First fell to the other and they became the Second King.  _

 

_ The Ancients saw this and decided that they should create a new law, The Law of The King. After this law passed they swore they would no longer interfere with the matters of Ghosts and Humans. _

 

_ The King would not be allowed to move on until he had been defeated by another.  _

 

_ Many of the Kings went mad from the time they spent trapped in the Ghost Zone, unable to join their loved ones on the other side.  A few of the stronger ones managed until some new ghost came along. Some reigns were as short as two days, others lasted millennia.  _

 

_ Then along came Pariah. He was a man that desired conquest and power, even in death. Pariah came along in a time when the Ancients had been absent for too long for them to be treated as anything other that myths. He scoffed at their laws and took the Ghost King’s throne. Unlike the Kings before him, he didn’t bother to challenge them to a duel, he simply ended them in their sleep and took charge. _

 

_ He was the First ghost to ever lead a conquest of the Human Realm. His reign was dark and violent, marred with war and pain. No other ghost was strong enough or brave enough to attempt to defeat him. The Ghost Zone fell in line with his will. He dragged massive pieces of the Human realm into the Ghost Zone, causing a great imbalance between the two worlds. Humans and Ghosts on both side were dying at an alarming rate from the war. The Ancients could not stand to see their laws so blatantly defied and so were forced to break their oath. _

  
  


“You know how it ends. Pariah sealed away, the ancients and him both becoming nothing more than mere myths.”

 

Danny blinked out of his daze. There had been a lot of information to absorb at once.  _ Ghost laws, Star Ghosts… Kingly Duels? I don’t remember that as part of Skulker’s story.   _ “But… that doesn’t answer my question?”

 

The Master of time sighed. “Ghosts have only ever allowed the one who defeats the King in a Duel take the throne. You defeated Pariah and allowed what imbalance he created. There is only one being the Ancients would allow to take his place.”

 

The pieces clicked in Danny’s mind. A duel, a duel that resulting in a ghost’s ‘death’. “No…”

 

“I’m afraid so, Daniel.” Clockwork gave him a sympathetic look, brushing off his cloak. “You are the new Ghost King.”

**Author's Note:**

> Gah, the first chapter is short. I meant to work on Always Watching but this wouldn't leave me alone. I'll have a chapter out this week though if you stalk me for that.


End file.
